IMG to be East hub for MLS training

Six Major League Soccer teams will train and participate in a series of friendlies at IMG Academy from late January to late February.

The deal was formally announced early Thursday evening, making IMG the Eastern hub for the 2014 MLS preseason.

The teams set to participate include the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, New England Revolution and Toronto FC.

IMG had been working with the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) to get MLS teams to its facilities for nearly a year.

"This has been a long time coming," Chris Ciaccio, vice president of marketing and outreach at IMG, said Thursday night. "We've put in a lot of leg work, This is really going to put Bradenton on the map."

The CVB is fronting $125,000 to help fund the visit.

International clubs will also be on site, but those names have not been released.

IMG, an expansive sports performance academy sitting on 450 acres in West Bradenton, is home to a 12-field professional soccer complex, one of the reasons MLS chose the site.

"We considered several locations to serve as an Eastern home for the preseason and, with consult from our clubs, we chose IMG Academy for the combination of its world-class facilities, ideal weather and engaged community," Nelson Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Competition and Game Operations at MLS, said in a statement.

It is one of several big events that the academy has secured recently.

Last week, it was named the host venue for the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the 2016-17 seasons.

"We are thrilled to be a part of this unique relationship that will put the Bradenton area on a national stage and no doubt enhance our market share globally," Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area CVB, said in a statement. "Initiatives like this allow us to continue to drive new dollars into our community and create opportunities for growth."